Medicine 2018?

[Katisha]

Is there already a thread for medicine applications for 2018 entry?
If not can I start one?
Wondered if anyone knew about the Birmingham GCSE situation as DS has A stars and As at GCSE and likely to be predicted A stars at A level but is coming up on their offers calculator as unlikely to get an interview.
Is it pointless to apply to Birmingham if not all stars at GCSE? Didn't get a star in biology.

This was posted in one of the threads a while ago and I had saved it for one of my friends Dd.
www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2032/msc-entry-requirements-for-uk-medical-schools.pdf

Good luck to all your DCs- it is a tough course to get into!

It is a complete minefield! DS visited Liverpool in June & loved it. Obviously city based but lots of green spaces. We also visited Keele which if you want green & leafy is the place to go! DS wanted to visit Sheffield next wkd but it's not possible, however I noticed on their website that on Friday 8th they're doing an 'online open day'. You have to register before & then they'll be a live talk about admissions etc.

We've been to see Edinburgh and St Andrews and seeing Southampton this weekend with Cardiff weekend after.

DS1 seems very organised but hey what do I know?!?

Swingofthings this is from the Sheffield website:

"It is required that all examinations at each level be taken in one sitting. Unfortunately we are unable to consider examinations taken early or resit examinations."

Yes but there is a perfectly valid rationale for requiring an average number of exams to be taken in a single sitting.

I agree, but at DD's school until last year all students sat 2 or 3 GCSEs at the end of year 10 (the number being determined by whether they did double or triple science) and the remaining 7 or 8 at the end of year 11. The brighter students sat maths in the January of year 11. So DD took 2 GCSEs in year 10, 1 in January last year and 7 in May/June, because this was how the school did it.

Yes I see that that's extremely messy and I certainly wouldn't have wanted it for my own DC.

Thinking of everyone who is doing the BMAT tomorrow. Hope it goes really well for your DC.

Is anyone going to the UEA open day tomorrow? We wanted to, but its just too far for us in one day.

The BMAT isn't tomorrow I don't think.

Thanks adrinkofwater! DD doing it this morning and appeared very relaxed last night. I think she feels she's studied enough. I think she did study hard but would have benefited from yet a bit more!

There were clearly benefits and inconveniences of taking now. I hope she'll still do fine and can then forget about it and focus on her A levels (and relax a bit as the summer has been full on).

It obviously is today then! Can they do it early as well as in November (one or the other I mean?).

No they can't take both it has to be one or the other.

DD said it was hard but no melt down so hopefully results will ok. They get them on the 29th.

Yes just asked DS4 whose gf is taking it and he says (but might have it wrong) that Oxford says the November BMAT is the one it wants. So do some schools specify when it has to be taken? Anyhow, all change clearly since DS1 took it in 2011.

In fact just checked it out on the Oxford Pre-Clinical website, out of curiosity: Oxford is very clear that entrants for Oxford have to take the BMAT in November. Are other schools specifying like that? Just interested, and interested as to why some schools might care/ not care.

Cambridge and Oxford will only accept November results. I expect that is because it shows full commitment to wanting to go there and confidence with their ability, ie. no need to do it before applying because Oxbridge is THE place the applicant wants to go!

DD isn't interested in anyway in either (she doesn't like research), but is interested in Leeds/Lancaster/Brighton and these do consider the September sitting. I believe Imperial do too.

No I don't think that's it swingofthings, the commitment stuff and confidence. I think it must simply be that Oxford (I know little about Cambridge) wants to judge everyone on the same test. Oxford is huge on the BMAT and makes a lot of how it's the one directly comparable piece of evidence they have to assess applicants' abilities.

A student certainly doesn't want to be involved in research to want to go to Oxford. DS (in his sixth year there) says there's no clear cut division in any event.

Sorry, I tend to be doing several things at once when I type! I meant a student certainly doesn't need to want to be involved in research to want to go to Oxford.

In fact Cambridge says it does accept the September test, interestingly. But Cambridge is less focussed on the BMAT as a measure, so presumably that's why.

You're probably right goodbystranger and yes, it is Oxford who will consider the November results only, not Cambridge.

No of course, a pupil doesn't need to want to be involved in research to want to go to Oxford, but they are looking for applicants with particular skills and interests that my DD doesn't have so she would be unlikely to get an interview there and similarly, the course they offer is not what she would prefer as she would rather be in contact with patients on the ground as early as possible which I believe isn't the case with Oxford.

Oxford was never on her list of options, so not being to apply to it isn't holding her back. What it means for her is that she will be able to make a better decision as to whether to apply to 1 or 2 BMAT schools (or maybe 3, but that would be very unlikely!).

That the same reason DD isn't looking at Oxford either swingofthings. She prefers problem based learning or integrated learning.

swingofthings Is she considering Leeds? My dd is just starting third year & it is excellent for early clinical contact. She will spend most of this year on placements & can already take blood, give injections etc

Thank you Decorhate for this suggestion. DD and I have looked into it and you're right, it does offer exactly what she is after and the admission criteria seem to suit what she has to offer. Crossing fingers she's done enough on the BMAT, will find out on the 29th.

Don't know if it's still the case but Leeds also used to not "over offer" by too many places so they were sometimes lenient with the odd dropped grade once they had made an offer.

Heading to Cardiff tomorrow, not looking forward to the 2 1/2 hour drive!!! Got where we are on UKCAT score, and he's happy, onwards and upwards